MNPS holds recruitment fair to fill hundreds of positions ahead of August

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Hundreds of prospective candidates filled the inside of the Maxwell House Hotel conference room in hopes to find a role within the Metro Public School District.

MNPS has 900 open vacancies ahead of the 2023-2024 school year.

“Teachers we’ve got about 400 vacancies to fill district-wide and with our highest need being Exceptional Education, Math, Science, and English learners,” said Bridgitte Tubbs-Jones, MNPS’s Director of Talent Acquisition.

On the support side, MNPS needs to fill about 500 positions which include bus drivers, bus monitors, paraprofessionals, and classroom support associates.

“The classroom associate is a better fit for students that gives them that continuity and that same point of contact day in and day out,” said Tubbs-Jones.

The Classroom Support Associate’s role is to support the teacher and students and take over in the teacher’s absence. The starting pay is $18.80 plus benefits.

It’s a new role Yvonne Merrell Oliver says she is interested in at the pre-k and elementary-age levels.

“I feel that I really have something to give back to the kids and I think they need the nurturing and the guidance to help get them motivated and educated and ready,” said Merrell-Oliver, attending the MNPS recruitment event.

At the job fair, Elijah Williams scored a role to become a fifth-grade reading teacher.

“I really want to focus on the reading area. The reading area I feel like it’s one of those areas where our students failed a lot because at so many schools’ students are two, three or four levels below their reading level,” said Williams.

If you don’t have a teaching license MNPS says that’s okay, they can help with that through a partnership with Austin Peay State University.

“A permit means that you’ve got a degree, but you do not have a teaching license. So, we would apply through the Tennessee Department of Education for a permit for you to have a teaching license for the school year,” said Tubbs-Jones.

For more MNPS open positions, click here.

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